Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are on the wrong side of a deadly water war. And American water corporations are helping it happen.

Mekerot, the corporation that manages 90% of Israel’s water has cut off the Palestinian territory from its own aquifer -- while siphoning unlimited water to illegal Israeli settlements. Palestinians have to buy back their own water at inflated prices -- and it’s still not enough -- while Israelis enjoy five times as much.

Meanwhile, American water companies are partnering with the Israeli water giant back in the US -- both improving Mekerot’s bottom line while legitimizing its assault on the Palestinian people.

Tell American water companies to break all ties with the Israeli water corp cutting Palestinians off from their own water.

Mekerot opened its beachhead in the US market in Akron, Ohio in 2012 and is intending to expand throughout the country. In 2009, Mekerot claimed part of the $12 billion in state spending to invest in California’s water infrastructure. These contracts help grow Mekerot’s research and development while turning a blind eye to the suffering it imposes in its home country.

We can’t overstate the effect withholding water has on a nation. As summer temperatures spike, the situation is getting desperate. Some families are reportedly living on as little as two litres of water per day. Farmers can’t keep their livestock healthy. And the water they do get is often contaminated: The Palestinian Water Authority estimates that 45% of the water in its processing plants is contaminated.

Look: it’s no secret that the situation in Israel and Palestine is complex and difficult. But when corporations like Mekerot exploit the conflict for profit while making an entire population suffer, we have no choice but to speak up. The good news is that it’s easy to encourage a corporation to have a change of heart when you start affecting its profits. Airbnb found that out the hard way when 150,000 SumOfUs members voiced their objections that it was profiting off of rental suites in the occupied West Bank.

It’s time to turn off the taps to Mekerot. Tell American water companies to end their relationship with the Israeli water corp until it restores water to parched Palestinians.

More information